Former Virginia State Delegate Geary Higgins said on May 19 that the Virginia Supreme Court had to weigh a voter-approved constitutional amendment against the procedures already set out in the state constitution.
“The court had to weigh a constitutional amendment approved by the people of Virginia against the rules that the very same people of Virginia set out in their constitution,” Higgins said in a post on X about the court’s congressional redistricting ruling.
The Virginia Supreme Court ruled on May 8 that the process used to advance the congressional redistricting amendment violated Article XII, Section 1 of the Virginia Constitution. The court said the violation “incurably taints” the referendum vote and nullifies its legal effect.
The proposed amendment would have allowed lawmakers to redraw Virginia’s congressional districts outside the regular decennial redistricting process. The court’s opinion said the proposal was submitted to voters on March 6, the first day of early voting, and voters approved it in an April 21 special election.
The existing congressional map remains in place after the ruling. The U.S. Supreme Court denied an application for a stay on May 15, leaving the Virginia Supreme Court decision undisturbed.
Higgins represented Virginia’s 30th House District as a Republican delegate from January 2024 through January 2026. He previously served on the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors and Loudoun County School Board, according to Ballotpedia.
